Jun 06 2008
The Censorship Has Gone Overboard
In case you haven’t realized, movie marketing, and generally marketing of all products has entered a new phase. Yes the conventional trailer before a feature film is still the norm, but viral marketing campaigns including, but not limited to, websites, public displays, graffiti, live human performances, tattoos on boxers, mini internet shows, and word of mouth, is everywhere you look. So, when Kevin Smith fans anxiously and routinely check the filmsmith’s blog and related websites, where he generously doses out tidbits of his upcoming films, no one thought the wiser. Well, maybe the MPAA who apparently plays the role of godfather of all media and recently forced Smith to take down his teaser trailer for his latest “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”.
Now don’t get me wrong. The trailer in question is crude at best. And yes the MPAA does rule over all things movie related, hence the nice little green screen warning prior to trailers and feature films. The only difference in Smith’s case is that his trailer was on his own website, did not feature any footage used in the actual film, and is a pure case of good old fashioned viral marketing.
“The MPAA called and said we had to take it down.
Here’s why: Weinstein Co. (like most studios) is a signatory of the MPAA. As such, there are protocols involving trailers that we failed to follow.
As with features, all trailers get rated get rated by the MPAA. The majority of them are for general audiences (Green Band trailers), but trailers packed with adult content (like our teaser) earns you what’s called a Red Band trailer.
Well, we didn’t go through this process - simply because, we felt, that since the teaser didn’t contain any footage from the actual flick, it wasn’t technically a trailer.
Boy, was I wrong.
Turns out all promotional material for any film financed/distributed by a signatory of the MPAA has to be signed-off on by the MPAA - including internet-only materials. I never realized this, as it’d never been a problem in the past: we’ve been doing ‘net-only teasers since “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and nobody ever raised a red flag before (not even on the last flick, for which we also put up two ‘net-only teasers in advance of the rated trailer). But I guess since the teaser was so, shall we say, racy… a rating was in order. HEre is what Smith had to say on his website today:
We’re now officially submitting the teaser to the MPAA for rating. If they approve it, we’ll put it back up.”
Now this may not seem like a big deal to some. After all, Smith and his crew are professional filmmakers, and on paper did in fact break the rules. But, maybe we should reconsider the idea of censorship in the first place. This trailer was on a website for a filmmaker who is known for raunchy movies, and the movie in question has itself a raunchy title. This trailer was not distributed to other movie websites nor was it shown prior to a feature film. Anyone who navigated to the page with the trailer was clearly aware of what lay in wait for them.This is the nature of the internet. No one was deceived, and I am pretty sure that those waiting by their computers for any glimpse of this movie were quite pleased with what they saw.
I have not read the mission statement of the MPAA, nor do I want to, but I am pretty sure its main focus is to protect innocent eyes and ears from what they do not want to, and should not watch. Oh that and outing communists. So do your job MPAA. Start banning Will Ferrell movies and lay off the public’s freedom to choice what is appropriate for themselves.
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